As waters begin to slowly recede in northern Pakistan following some of the worst flooding in the area in 80 years, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is assessing the immediate needs of affected communities, the agency reported.

Some of the most urgently needed relief aid, ADRA emergency response experts say, includes shelters for displaced families, blankets, hygiene kits, food, water, and medical assistance.

Since the flooding began in late July, more than 1,500 people have died, thousands have become homeless, and some three million people have been affected. The effect of the flooding on farmlands, crops, cattle, roads, buildings, and communication networks has been severe.

"The entire infrastructure we built in the last 50 years has been destroyed," a spokesman for the provincial Disaster Management Authority in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa said.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 36 districts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province, have reported flooding so far. In addition, the threat of water-borne diseases remains high in all affected areas, as the flooding has contaminated water sources.

"This is the worst ever calamity in our history," said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that 942 deaths had been confirmed so far, adding that nearly 900,000 people had been displaced with thousands of families were still without tents.

The situation was worsening in the cut-off Swat valley as residents complained about severe food and fuel shortages. "We are facing severe shortage of food. There is no petrol in the pumps and no food in the shops, the government is doing nothing for us," Malik Amirzada, a local resident, said.

As more heavy monsoon rains are in the forecast, government authorities expect the number of dead to climb further. In addition, the vast amounts of water, which are now flowing south through Baluchistan, Punjab and Sindh provinces, have already caused flash flooding and are threatening low-lying areas.

ADRA is a global non-governmental organization providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity. For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org